Steven Kellogg Book Signing Sunday At The Library

By Kaaren Valenta

“This old man, he played eight

Past his bedtime, much too late.

Nicknack, paddywhack, tired and all alone…

Eight kind sled dogs hauled him home.”

Steven Kellogg loves dogs. Readers of his series of children’s books about Pinkerton, the Great Dane, know it. But his latest book, Give the Dog a Bone, really shows it.

There are 250 dogs in this book: 32 Great Danes, 19 Rhodesian Ridgebacks, 33 West Highland White terriers, 30 Cairn terriers, 25 Golden retrievers, 24 Alaskan Malamutes, 4 German Shepherds, 9 pugs, 35 Basset Hounds, 11 poodles, 9 English setters, 6 pointers, and 13 cocker spaniels, including Sylvia (on the back jacket cover), the current resident dog of Mr Kellogg and his wife, Helen, who divide their time between their homes in Sandy Hook and in upstate New York. Sylvia was named after Golden Silverwind from Mr Kellogg’s book Best Friends.

There are also cobblers, cats, chickens, and even velociraptors in this fresh adaptation of the traditional children’s counting song that teaches language, counting, rhythm, and coordination. The first old man “plays one” on his drum, but from there the rhyme escalates into a slapstick adventure that ends with the last old man surrounded by a lovable crowd of canine friends.

Mr Kellogg will be at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library on Sunday, December 3, from 2 to 3:30 pm, in the children’s reading room to autograph copies of Give the Dog a Bone and two new reissues, The Baby BeeBee Bird and The Missing Red Mitten.

The Missing Red Mitten came out in 1973 as a small black and white book (the red mitten was the only color). The new full-color re-imaged edition will captivate a new generation of readers as they follow Annie and her (you guessed it) dog, Oscar, through a search for her missing red mitten — the fifth mitten she has lost this winter.

The Baby BeeBee Bird, originally published in 1963, has been beloved by readers for generations. In this new-size, full-color edition, Diane Redfield Massie’s delectable story has been lovingly re-illustrated by Mr Kellogg, creating a captivating bedtime story.

 Mr Kellogg has written and illustrated more than 100 books for children and young readers.  He has been presented with the 1987 David McCord Citation and the 1989 Regina Award for his distinguished contributions to children’s literature. In 1998 he was the recipient of the Jo Osborne Award for humor in children’s literature.

A supporter of children’s programs in Newtown, he does a book signing each year for Booth Library’s children’s department. This year the signing in the children’s reading room will be across the hall from the Festival of Trees, part of the 15th annual holiday festival.

Residents of Sandy Hook for more than 30 years, the Kelloggs have six grown children and eight grandchildren. They also have a summer home, an old farmhouse overlooking the Champlain Valley in upstate New York, where he often works on his books.

Proceeds from the book sale will benefit the library. Anyone who wishes to purchase an autographed book but is unable to attend the book signing can sign up in advance at the main circulation desk or in the children’s department at the Booth Library, 25 Main Street. For more information, call the library at 426-4533.